Adventuring within the Kingdom
Epic Gaming A means to player exploitation of the campaign worlds of Pathfinder. Epic gaming provides an efficient method to adventure within our campaign worlds. The design of epic gaming establishes a framework of rules consistent with Pathfinder that enables an effective sandbox approach to large scale adventuring. Players are provided a structured method to direct their characters throughout the world for each calendar month that will benefit a meaningful discovery of locations, NPCs, customs, organizations, and potential modules relevant to their campaign. Adventuring within the kingdom has all the familiar elements of a published module; except that you are granted an unsurpassed freedom of choice for your characters. Everything during Epic gaming is tied together by actions and consequences. This method of play offers decisive progression with more personal encounters while developing a meaningful background for the campaign. No longer is it necessary for the GM to smudge player choices due to lack of preperation or whatever. To maintain the spirit of Pathfinder, players are given the option to slow down an encounter and revert to conventional Pathfinder play. Your character is given a number of actions per month based upon his social ranking that will ultimately decide his adventure path within the kingdom. An individual or party challenge rating will also be determined by his choice and consequence of actions. Action points may be shared by players and must be given to other players at the beginning of the players turn. Delegation of personal actions is permitted whereby a Lord/Steward or above can assign an action to another individual (in allegiance) to perform a certain task. When adventuring together as a party, actions are pooled. *(Note that the steward only receives a lord's number of actions if he remains within his estate for the month, otherwise if he is planning on adventuring he uses either his Noble or Adventurer rank. Noble requires at east 5 ranks in Knowledge (nobility). Social Table I Action Table II Party A party is formed at the beginning of the month. A party leader is chosen as a figurehead and each player (froming the party) receives only one personal action point per month. The leader then rolls his actions at the next highest social rank. Eg, an adventurer normally gets 1-3 actions, but as a leader qualifies for 1-4 actions (as per noble). Any Lord or above adventuring outside of his municipality (duchy, principality, etc) reverts to a noble for determining action points. Party actions are declared by the leader at a cost of one action point and affects each individual forming the party. Eg, the party expends a movement action to travel from Yarsardith to Cuhmunal then expends an adventure action to find rumours within the village. Individuals are given one action in the event that they wish to act independantly. Epic Gaming is Skill Oriented During the course of your turn, your character will be called upon to use an appropriate skill set to complete his actions. This will be based upon your motivation. (There may be a desire to use a skill set that will offer the best modifier but the most applicable skill set is ultimately decided by the GM.) There are four skill sets: Social, Survival, Gain, Pathfinding. Skill Set Table III By combining your characters skill ranks and consulting table IV, you can achieve four skill scores: social, survival, gain, pathfinding. Each will have a modifier. Your skill score modifier will help determine the completion of your action. Your organization may also contribute to your combined score depending upon your rank within the organization. When performing an action, add your skill score modifier when performing the check. Combined Scores Table IV DC Action Chart Most actions undertaken by the PC are by nature easy. A challenge rating can help identify the difficulty of the task or encounter. The payout of the action is proportional to the difficulty rating. The DC modifier for survival is reduce by 1 when taking the proper measures to insure the survival of your character. Stopping for treasure or encumbered by treasure will not reduce the DC but may increase your chances of getting caught. When attempting a gain action, increase the DC by 1 as there is always a risk associated to gain. Gain is not only physical treasure but can also be as abstract as information or a favourable position. Taking 10 in epic gaming is permitted only if the encounter is non-threatening and will never gain you an action. Taking 20 is not permitted. Setting a goal Players are encouraged to set a main goal for their characters. Setting a primary objective at the beginning of the players first Kingdom initiative will provide a better sense of direction when deciding player actions. Any action that is consistent with accomplishing the players main goal (subject to the GM) will benefit a +1 on the DC check when attempting the action. Aiding an action roll When attempting an action, you may aid your action role by using a skill or using another means (spells, items, etc) that you think would benefit your situation. Eg, the action is to travel from Yarsardith to Cuhmunal and you would like to aid your action by using your characters ride skill. Remember that Epic gaming allows you unsurpassed control of your character and that you are systematically building the story and background for your character; the more details you provide for your actions, the more campaign (hooks) will be available for you down the road. Your GM will try to validate the logic of your aid action based upon your description and award a bonus from three different levels as most pertaining to the situation. If you used a skill in aiding your action, your DC is set at the DC of your action. A successful aid will award a bonus to your action DC roll of either +3, +2 or +1 as dependent on the top three most pertaining aid to your situation. A party member may also aid the individual once in this manner at the cost of his personal action point. The aid bonus will stack. Other attributes used to aid are respective of the individuals class, character or organization. A fighter might try to bash his way using a strength check. A rogue might to perform a sneak attack using a to hit as a DC bonus. These attributes are situational and offer the player a chance to be creative with the situation. The GM must also weigh in the factor and may decide to reward the player with added bonus to his action roll. Difficulty Rating When gauging the difficulty of an action, the GM must understand the players action. The action should be manageable within the scope of one month. The action should have some continuity that is relevant to the story, stage and character. There is always a degree of resistance to the players action that needs to be carefully considered by the GM. A character at sea trying to buy an item is implausible and should be deemed very difficult, a character wanting to buy an item in a war zone might be hazardous, whereas a character in a city buying an item is an easy action. The amount of steps required in performing an action plays a relative part in determining the difficulty rating. A character wanting to travel to the Fiery mountains to slay the Wizard King without making the necessary travel provisions may be stacking too many steps and find his action to be difficult. Difficulty DC Table V Very important that prior to making a DC check, a player should have a backup plan in the event that he does not succeed. This post narrative may assist the GM in determining the consequences of your actions. Resultants by Potential Difference Table VI The % check rule is only done once per action. When rolling on miscibility table, add or subtract your final DC result to the dice score. Difficulty Rating When gauging the difficulty of an action, the GM must understand the players action. The action should be manageable within the scope of one month. The action should have some continuity that is relevant to the story, stage and character. There is always a degree of resistance to the players action that needs to be carefully considered by the GM. A character at sea trying to buy an item is inplausible and should be deemed very difficult, a character wanting to buy an item in a war zone might be hzarardous, wheras a character in a city buying an item is an easy action. The amount of steps required in performing an action plays a relative part in determining the difficulty rating. A character wanting to travel to the Fiery mountains to slay the Wizard King without making the necessary travel provisions may be stacking too many steps and find his action to be difficult. Difficulty DC Table V Very important that prior to making a DC check, a player should have a backup plan in the event that he does not succeed. This post narrative may assist the GM in determining the consequences of your actions. Resultants by Potential Difference Table VI The % check rule is only done once per action. When rolling on miscibility table, add or subtract your final DC result to the dice score. Action Consequences Where simple failure of an action usually results in no progress in resolving the action at this time, a minor, moderate and major consequence will generate a resultant storyhook that is measured by the (inertia of the) action and should be interpreted 10%, 25%, 50% in direct opposition to the action. A table of suggested interpretations is provided as a means to differentiate the level of consequences along with the associated targets. Action Table II Some effort has been made in factoring the area of effect when dealing with the consequence of an action. Yet as a players actions are game concepts that are represented by abstract determination, an equal amount of deductive reasoning must be excercised by the GM when weighing the outcome. A minor/major consequence might affect the players next gain, pathfinding, survival, or social action at +1/+5 DC or have a more profound element that indirectly affects the storyline; perhaps an NPC takes note of the characters actions and informs a relevant organization, or a random encounter may immediately be triggered, etc. Ultimately, action consequences should always be applicable to the player and have the full support of the story, stage and character. As a method of validation, consequences should be noted respective of each player action for gaming posterity, even if in shorthand or categorical checkmarks. Miscibility Table VII When determining catastrophic or discovery results multiply the consequences by a factor proportional to the encounter rating, starting with average being X2, difficult X3, etc. Renown within the Kingdom Your starting renown value is character level + charisma + rank within your organization + social rank renown modifier + alignment modifier. Alignment modifier within the kingdom is chaotic -10 neutral 0 Law + 10. Your actions may affect your renown with everything that you do within the Kingdom. Your organization will also have an effect upon your renown. Consult table VI for determining renown value score. Your renown will either be saintly or criminal depending upon your alignment and actions. Individuals are assumed to have the capacity to sustain themselves from month to month with at least the basic provisions, lodging, etc unless their actions would prove otherwise. Renown Table VIII Inititative Why have an intitiave? so that everyone gets an equal turn to participate. Initiative is determined at the beginning of every month with players adding their renown score modifier. In this manner can each player have a chance to play sequentially which makes a party split or segue more enjoyable for everyone. Epic Gaming Checklist 1) Set your goal. Make sure your actions are consistent with what you want to accomplish this session. This will increase your chance of success by +1. 2) Plan a course of actions. Based upon how many actions you have this month, plan them all out including how you will aid your actions. Try and imagine how your character is accomplishing the actions to get some ideas on what he might need or how he might get there. 3) Be definitive. Question your environment. Use concrete words and colourful role-playing to better your chances of getting a better aid modifier. The aid modifier can increase your characters chances of success by +3. 4) Try and negotiate the DC. Your character is no fool, he wouldn't blindly walk into danger or go after incredible odds (unless he has too). 5) Prepare a fallback plan in the event that things don't go well for your character. Having a contingency in the event of catastrophic failure can drastically reduce the consequences. Be prepared for the worst. 6) Make your character more than just numbers and record your actions for posterity (even if just a little). This log will offer indispensable aid and potential in future Epic Gaming. 7) Have fun, D&D is all fun and games.